


Busting the Puzzle

by ArisenFromNightmares



Series: Queen of Queens [3]
Category: Catherine (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 03:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14685570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArisenFromNightmares/pseuds/ArisenFromNightmares
Summary: The Trickster's next target brings him to a world motivated by the nightmares of cheating men, and to capture his target he's gotta break the game.





	Busting the Puzzle

The next name on the Trickster’s list was something of an anomaly between all of the individuals on the list..she seemed the LEAST qualified to be in a multi-person tournament involving warriors, different species, and even a couple of Goddesses.

“I get that home boy has his preferences and all, but this just really seems like he’s mistaking raisins for chocolate chips here.” The Trickster would furrow his brow in apprehension as he stood in the Void Between Worlds, knowing that the world beyond this door with a golden sheep emblem wouldn’t be too different from the modern world that his soon-to-be victim resided in. “Ah well, not my place to make substitutions.” He would open the door to find himself entering a late-night bar filled with patrons drinking and talking amongst themselves, the raven-haired teen would sigh in annoyance before glamoring himself to appear more along the lines of legal drinking age before approaching the bartender and taking a seat on the stool.

“Scotch on the rocks and make ‘er a double. Been doing a fair bit of traveling and haven’t had a chance to wet my whistle” He would make a peripheral scan of the area while waiting for his drink, one thing about not being human meant that human alcohol didn’t do much of anything to him. “By the way friend, I’m on the hunt for a woman and I was hoping you knew where I could find her.”

The bartender would make a noise of affirmation as he prepared the Trickster’s drinks with a stylish flourish, prepping the regular stuff as his appearance indicated that he didn’t make enough money to afford the good stuff. “Take a look around young man, plenty of fish in the sea tonight.” The man behind the bar was an older gentleman, with gray hair and wearing a fine white suit, but the one outlying aspect of his appearance was the sunglasses that covered his eyes. “Unless you’re looking for a certain “type” of woman, then I suggest you head to another bar and leave this place be.” It was clear that this old geezer wasn’t exactly happy with his presence but wasn’t about to kick him out either, even a fish you didn’t like was tolerable if they paid up.

“Relax old timer, I’m not here for a lay-up. I’m looking for a woman by the name of Katherine McBride.” If the old man knew who he was referring to, he didn’t show it as he started tending to another one of his patrons. “I get it, not a fan of my being here.” The Trickster would take his time with the drink, taking a little more time to get the lay of the land. His eyes would lock onto a blonde-haired, fair-skinned girl eagerly talking with a guy that could only be best referred to as a Grade A slacker. “ _God, it’s like watching the mook in action. Only much less crippled and slightly more charismatic.”_ He was about to turn around and call it a night when he noticed something strange, the girl’s appearance seemed to ripple and bend like light when exposed to a prism. “Son of a-“Before he could say much else, the world would begin to spin in a very nauseating fashion as the Trickster whirled around to glare at the elderly bartender, the ghost of a smile upon his face as the young adult’s condition worsened.

“You should’ve just left when you had the chance, I don’t appreciate you lower level dregs encroaching on my territory.” The old man would keep his voice low, even as his appearance began to bend and ripple like the blonde did, only proving that his instincts weren’t lying as these two individuals weren’t at all who they seemed. “Maybe a little romp in the Nightmares will teach you some respect.” With those ominous last words, the Trickster would feel his head hit the bar as the world went dark.

* * * * *

 _Alright, I gotta know why you picked this broad. She sounds like a complete stick in the mud, and if we’re being completely honest: She’s not even that attractive.”_ He would mill through the lost soul’s _Youtube_ subscriptions, finding mostly gaming and comic book channels with the occasional news-related thing here and there. “ _You don’t have much of a life do you buddy?”_ The raven-haired teen would ignore the feeling of something striking the side of his head as he continued researching the glut of targets on his list.

“ _She’s a no-nonsense kind of woman, and I’m a bit of a fuck up so this is more of a necessary evil.”_ The bearded man would growl as he struggled to reach over and retrieve his pillow, growling in frustration as he received no help from the only other person in his room. “ _Why do you care anyway? I get why you’d bash on Neon, but Katherine’s really someone special, and besides I find her SEXY!”_ Finally, able to retrieve his pillow, he would go to lay back down and try to rest when he let out an audible sigh. “ _Besides, she got completely hosed by being handcuffed to a loser like Vincent Brooks: The guy has zero drive to better himself, lives like a complete idiot, and is wasting Katherine’s time!”_

The Trickster would look around at the mess of a room he was sitting in, papers and other paraphernalia were littered around the floor, along with empty pill bottles lining the television area.

“ _Yeah, because clearly you’re the bastion of motivation with this shithole of a room and your grizzled hobo appearance.”_ He would laugh at his own remarks, ignoring the crinkling of papers as he wriggled out of his shoes and tried to get more comfortable with his surroundings. “ _What, no surly comebacks? No more witty repartee?”_ It was then that he suddenly felt an uncharacteristic shaking, causing him to look over and look away just as fast. “ _DUDE WHAT THE FUCK?! Are you jacking off WHILE I’M **IN THE ROOM!?** ”_

_* * * * *_

The Trickster would wake up to find himself facedown in a very different location from where he had first collapsed, this place was dark, desolate, and seemingly built high like a stack of blocks the way a grade-schooler would.

“ _Gah, normal human alcohol shouldn’t have knocked me out. That old coot must have slipped something in while I was searching for that Katherine woman.”_ He would slowly get to his feet and start working the kinks out of his body, deciding to drop the human glamour and embrace his demonic nature. “ _It would take a certain set of ingredients to knock **me** out, and even then..only other supernatural beings would know how to mix ‘em just right.” _He would open his leathery wings and give a few practice flaps, grateful to find that his spiked drink hadn’t hindered him too much.

“I wouldn’t count on simply flying out of here my little trespasser.” The voice of the old bartender would echo from all around him, although he sensed a more menacing edge to it. “I don’t appreciate others from the demon realm interfering with my setup, although I gotta hand it to you..you’ve got a pair of brass ones to come up into my bar!” He would let out a booming laughter, even as the demon readied his Athame for combat of some kind.

“Look pal, I don’t care what kind of racket you’re running; my only goal is to find Katherine McBride!” The Trickster would snarl as he looked around the strange block tower, his eyesight sharpening to reveal a great many sheep scrambling their way up towards a lone door, a few of them would be barbaric enough to try and shove their fellow sheep over the side. “Hmph, I’m guessing those are human souls. Glamoured to look like sheep, and I’m guessing that those poor saps going overboard..well, it’s not my department.” The Trickster would slowly begin his own climb, the fate of these souls meant little to him as his target was meant to carry more weight then a gaggle of goofballs.

“You’re definitely not the average imp, and it’s like you said- this isn’t an ordinary “racket”, the sheep are men who are cheating on their better halves. So, I decided to put them through a little trial, with the help of an associate of mine they are brought into this tower night after night.”

The old bartender would appear before him, removing the sunglasses to reveal a pair of demonic red-eyes and a much more sinister smile then before. “In the human realm, I was once known as Thomas Mutton. But here I go by a much different name, yes..here I go by the name Dumuzid.” He would hold out his hand in a welcoming gesture, as if they were both on the same side of the cosmic aisle.

“ _Dumuzid. I’ve definitely heard that name around the water cooler, and it definitely wasn’t in the chummy way.”_ His brow would furrow in thought as he tried to remember the last time he had gotten together with the department heads, as a Trickster he was duty bound to report in on his assignments every so often, and on this get together the bosses were plenty steamed about somebody trying to muscle in on their business.

* * * * *

“ _That damn Dumuzid! Lust may be the bottom of the barrel, but a catch is a catch and that fool of a consort is taking up all the morsels for himself!”_ He would roll his eyes as the higher ups talked amongst themselves, the Demon World was exactly all fire and brimstone like the way Hollywood made it look, no..Hell was more of a personal thing, tailored to the individual’s nightmare instead of a group barbeque. Although the torture was well above his pay grade, he was meant to guide helpless idiots into signing away their soul for a taste of whatever it was they wanted. It was like being a crack dealer: the first hit was free, only in his case..it was more like the **only** hit. “ _They’re our souls! Ours! Ours! **OURS!!!** ” _The Trickster would feel his fists tighten in annoyance as the squat, pudgy whiner proceeded to throw a rather violent tantrum and start beating in the brains of one of his female interns.

“ _It can’t be helped, he’s a divine consort of the Goddess Ishtar. This is outside of our jurisdiction, as for you youngling..”_ The more taller and leaner of the duo would slide a file his way, a giant red frown stamped on the front. “ _I’m afraid that you’re still on washout duty for now, we’ll keep you notified in case something prevalent comes to bear.”_

“Hey boss, what if I happen to run into this Dumuzid during my travels, what should I do?”

The two demons would look from him to one another before deciding to huddle together and talk amongst themselves in ancient tongue, leading him to huff in annoyance as the Trickster left the office.

* * * * *

He didn’t even stop to breathe as the Trickster drove his Athame into the side of Dumuzid’s neck, the older man letting out a howl of pain as the runes flared to life.

“Ya know, I’ve stabbed a lot of folks with this thing. And every time those little runes have lit up I’ve gotten something random from every one of my victims: Memories, knowledge of fighting styles, sexual deviations..but you’re the first demon that I’ve really drawn something from, so I’m getting chills wondering just what I’ll get from **you!** ” Pulling the knife free, the old bartender would stumble back as he tried to apply pressure to the wound on his neck as he glared at the now blue-skinned teen.

“You..you little fool. Have you any idea what you’ve done?” Dumuzid would grit his teeth angrily as he attempted to transform into something more menacing, only to feel his demonic energies leaving his bodies. “I am..the consort..to the Goddess Ishtar! You..you’re nothing..but an insect!” He would reach out for the Trickster, surprised to see that his fingers were quickly severed before the young man took a step back and gave a cocky salute before turning away from the now crumbling maze.

“Well aren’t you just the cutest little headache?” The Trickster would blink, not expecting to find himself once again sitting at the bar from before, only now it was strangely devoid of people-save for a woman with a bizarre red afro and a very stylish looking suit that showed off a fair amount of her cleavage. “Though you did save me a bit of trouble having to clear out that cheating consort of mine, now I can look for a replacement without having to worry about what that idiot is trying to put his wrinkled fingers into.” The woman would suddenly appear behind the bar, pouring herself a drink and sizing him up with an invasive gaze.

“So you’re Ishtar, hmm..gotta say, the afro’s not really doing it for me.” The Trickster had to pick his words carefully now, he had been able to catch Dumuzid off guard by sheer luck, but this woman wasn’t as dumb as the consort.

After all, she’d been the one to turn a human into something different.

“So, you know my story, yet I don’t know a damn thing about you.” She would slide him a glass of scotch before preparing one of her own, all the while making slight gestures for him to speak.

“I uhh..” He would groan before reaching for the rag nearby, deciding that it was best to clean while he decided to recite his story for the Goddess in front of him. “This might be more than a one drink story but believe me when I say that it’s worth the effort.” With that, he would begin telling Ishtar about who he was, the kind of work he was involved in, as well as why he had ended up in what was essentially her world.

“You would go through that much footwork for one solitary soul? That hardly seems productive to what your purpose is.” She had a point, traveling to that many worlds for the sake of one man was a bit of a stretch. But he had done a lot worse for this schmuck already: Killing an angel, starting an undead apocalypse on a foreign world, killing a Goddess’s consort. “There must be more to this excursion then what the job asks of you. So, tell me: What is it that you truly long for, my dear little Trickster?”

The Trickster would be taken aback by this sudden question, not even the higher-ups in the office had bothered to ask him of his opinion on anything. All he had known was simply “Go here, collect this soul, report back. Lather, rinse, repeat.

“I want…” The raven-haired young man would slam his palms on the bar top before giving Ishtar a look of fiery determination, the Athame next to him clattering violently. “I know exactly what it is I want!”

* * * * *

The next day would find the Trickster outside of a café known as the Chrono Rabbit, his target was already inside and all he had to do was take her and get the hell outta there and move onto the next world.

“I’m here to meet a friend of mine: long hair, purple eye shadow, funky blue nails?” The greeter at the door looked none-too-pleased at his tattered jacket, but begrudgingly pointed out the woman in question before attending to the next customer as he walked away. “Katherine McBride?”

“Vincent, I told you that we’re through-“ The woman’s tone was one that radiated the life of someone who had spent far too long trying to squeeze blood from a stone and was one bad day away from an alcohol binge. “I’m sorry, I thought you were..someone else.” She seemed genuinely bewildered as he simply took the seat across from her.

“Clearly. Look miss McBride I’m not gonna waste your time with idle banter, I’ve had a hell of a time since I got into town, so I’ll just cut to the chase.” He would reach into the pocket of his jacket and reveal a glimmering gold medallion, the sheep symbol burned into one side. “A friend of mine is planning to kill himself, but he’s not willing to hear me out when I say these things always tend to work out. I figured that if those words came from someone who’s as no nonsense as you are, maybe he would finally snap out of this funk and get back on his feet.”

He would watch as the gears turned inside the woman’s head, almost as if she were trying to comprehend what she was being told.

“Look, I’m not sure if it’s the glasses or whatever it is that set off your alarm bells but I’m not a shrink.” She would move to get up from her seat, calmly picking up her purse as she spared him a sympathetic glance. “I’m sorry about your friend, but I doubt someone like me can help anyone.” With that she would head for the door to the Chrono Rabbit, intent on finishing her day and think over things with whoever this Vincent was.

But the thing about this Trickster, was that he had the power to make people see what he wanted them to see.

Or in this case, what they **needed** to see.

* * * * *

Katherine could barely believe the scene unfolding in front of her, she had only meant to come to the Rabbit to clear her head. Instead she had been offered a chance to try and save the life of a stranger, of someone who was suffering in a way she hoped to never endure.

She had refused this deal, and now she was seeing just how wrong she was for doing so.

“ _What the fuck is wrong with you?! Are you seriously that ungrateful for all we’ve done for you?!”_ Katherine would instinctively wince as she watched the poor individual in question being struck, covering her mouth as the hate-filled tirade continued. “ _I spent the best years of my life taking care of **you!** And what have I got to show for it?!” _Another blow would proceed the words, the beige-haired woman would finally reach out to try and stop the violence, only to gasp as her hand phased through the assailant’s body as if she were a ghost.

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you, those two can’t see or hear us. We’re just spectators in this deranged little movie theater.” The man from before would suddenly appear next to her, casually smoking a cigarette as the beating was reflected in his eyes. “Think about it, waking up every morning to go about your day as normal as you can. All while praying that your caretaker DOESN’T do his job, because this is what happens when you ask for something as simple as help getting into the shower.”

 Katherine could barely believe the level of cruelty that she was forced to witness, the poor soul being roughly dragged from his shower chair and back into the bedroom. All of this happening even as the hateful screaming continued, his so-called caretaker berating the poor soul for his own inadequacies, the many failures in his life.

“No wonder he considers death as the answer to his problems. God, if I had to endure this everyday then I might consider off’ing myself too.” She had to turn away from the violence unfolding around her, coming face to face with her unwanted companion. “Why not go to the authorities, the beatings would stop, he would be able to move on with his life..after some extensive therapy.” The pair of them would wince as the sound of a leather belt connecting with skin was enough to make her blood boil with rage, even as her heart seemed to break with every cry of pain.

“Because the system doesn’t work that way McBride, even if he were to get free of his abuser and into safe hands. The state would just drop him into a group home with other folks with deficiencies like his, some of them may be physical..but I’ve seen the inside of those places..and a lot of the folks there. Well, they’re not playing with a full deck of cards ma’am, and I’m not gonna let a bunch of bureaucrats take him out of one hell to drop him into another one.”

Katherine could see the blaze of conviction in his eyes, it was clear that he cared enough to look out for his friend to explore all the options available and do his best to keep him out of harm’s way. “I..I can’t take him back with me, I don’t have the resources to care for someone in his condition!” The tears stinging her eyes were a surprise even to her, and while her now ex-boyfriend Vincent was a bit of a slacker, he could at least take care of and defend himself if it came down to it. “I can’t even stop the madness that’s happening right behind me!!” She wanted to slam a hole in the wall next to her, but she was unable to interact with the world around her. Katherine McBride had been reduced to nothing more than a helpless spectator to the violence that was someone’s living hell.

“You can’t, not the way you are now anyhow. But if you were given the strength to build him a better world, one where he could feel safe. One where his every malady was purged from his body, and he was given the chance to stand tall..what would you sacrifice?” He would hold out the glowing medallion once again, only now there was a certain hum of power that came with the eerie glow. “With the power of this medallion, you can build him the ideal world and grant him the happiness he rightfully deserves. All you need to do is agree to my little deal from before.” The dark-haired man would dangle the medallion in front of her face, watching her body tremble as the power continued to tempt her down to her very core.

“Just hang on a little longer, I swear that I’ll do all I can to help you.” Katherine would sigh as she reached out to grab this medallion, her mind flashing back on her memories involving Vincent: The way he and his friends would tease her throughout high school, how she ended up developing a crush on him anyhow, how he had shown her kindness when she was at her lowest, and how five years down the road-he had broken her heart. “ _I guess this really is farewell, take care of yourself Vincent.”_ As her fingers wrapped themselves around the medallion, she barely had time to gasp in surprise before feeling herself being whisked away to parts unknown.

* * * * *

The Trickster would snap his fingers as soon as the woman was well beyond the realms of her world, the illusion falling away like pieces of a shattered mirror to reveal a dingy alley.

“Two down, still way too many more to go.” The Trickster would growl in annoyance before opening up a way back into the Void Between Worlds, hopefully his next target would require much less convincing to join him.

**Author's Note:**

> I gotta stop making these things so long and GET TO THE POINT!!!


End file.
